Thanking The Folks In The Thankless Jobs

It`s the fourth Thursday of November, a day when we traditionally pause to give thanks for the good things in our lives and the good people we know.

And in that spirit I offer this small list of some of the people and organizations I`m thankful for.

-- Silver Ridge Elementary School principal Carole Brandt: Last year, as principal at A.C. Perry Elementary in Miramar, she devised a program for teaching kids the relevance of their school lessons by turning the entire school into a learning mall. This year, as principal at Silver Ridge, she`s putting a similar program together there. We need innovative educators like her; men and women who can make learning important to students. Without them, we`re all in a lot of trouble.

-- The Small Business Development Centers at Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University: They offer counseling and training for people who want to open small businesses. More government agencies should be as willing to help as they are.

RECOGNIZING THE GOOD GUYS

-- Jack Till, senior vice president of Shearson Lehman Brothers in Fort Lauderdale: Jack has been a driving force behind the Broward County Academy of Finance and a host of other good works. He`s one of the good guys.You`ll find him just under the large white hat.

-- Fort Lauderdale attorney Sheldon Schlesinger: Some people are judged by the friends they keep. Others are judged by their enemies. Because he represents medical malpractice victims, he`s made a lot of politically powerful enemies. No one has ever accused him of letting his clients down, though, and dozens of men and women are now able to lead a semblance of a normal life because of his skill and boldness in the courtroom.

-- Attorney Bill Bailey of the Insurance Information Institute: I don`t always agree with him and he doesn`t always agree with me, but I`m glad I know Bill because he believes in what he`s doing. It`s hard to find people like that these days.

-- Ruby Stegmann of Boca Raton: Ruby is the chief cook and bottle washer of the American Subcontractors Association of South Florida. She`s the glue that holds this sometimes rambunctious group together. It`s not an easy job, but she manages to get it done.

-- Donnie Williams of Hollywood: He runs a steel erection company and a little more than a year ago he brought to my attention the fact that many subcontractors were being cheated by Florida`s unfair lien laws. But he didn`t stop there. He lobbied, he organized meetings, he shouted when that seemed necessary and he stepped on a few toes. The lien laws were changed last year and Donnie will tell you that`s because the subcontractor`s association he later joined lobbied hard to get them changed. That`s true, but Donnie was the catalyst. He was the lightning rod that attracted the attention.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES WORKERS

-- Jo Drysdale of Margate: She`s the president of Victims of Medical Malpractice. It`s a thankless, often emotionally draining job and she`s taken a lot of flack for doing it, but she`s fought tooth and nail for the rights of victims. And if the day ever comes when you`re a victim of a neglient or incompetent doctor, you`ll be glad she did.

-- NAWBO: The National Association of Women Business Owners (they let men in too) is an organization of entrepreneurs that nurtures ideas and provides support for people who are just starting out. It`s an organization that hasn`t lost sight of the American Dream.

-- SCORE: The Service Corps of Retired Executives gives those who want to start a small business the advice they need to put their ideas into practice. Its counselors are all volunteers who care.